| I am so thrilled to be teaching your child music this year!
Through music, children learn skills that will help them throughout their
lives. Basic rhythm and melody skills contribute to better reading, working
with tempos and note values emphasize math skills, singing songs from a
variety of cultures helps children to connect with the world around them,
and comparing/contrasting various musical styles encourages listening and
critical thinking abilities. This is just the tip of the iceberg!
Our music program encourages students to understand and appreciate music in
all its many varieties. Students in grades K through 3 will be learning
musical concepts through listening, singing, playing games, telling stories,
composing, and exploring percussion and melodic instruments. My goal is to
give your child the tools to understand and interpret the language of music
so that they may continue to explore and experience it fully. Students will
also be learning about the history of music through composer and musician
studies and comparisons of musical periods.
In our classroom we have many types of instruments to explore including Orff
tuned percussion instruments, rhythm instruments from around the world,
rhythm sticks and shakers, bells and tambourines, chimes and handbells. We
will even create our own versions of these instruments as we learn what
makes them sound the way they do. As we study the many instruments in a full
orchestra, they will have the chance to see, touch, play and hear the
instruments themselves and explore how they are the same and different.
There are many ways I love for parents to contribute to our music class. I
welcome any parent who would like to demonstrate an instrument or sing, or
share a type of music with us, to be a "guest teacher" in our class. Please
email or call me so we can set up a time for you to come in this year!
Singing with your child at home, listening to a variety of musical styles on
your radio, CD player or Ipod together, and encouraging your child to play
an instrument whether it is violin, drums or the pots and pans in your
kitchen -- these are all things you can do at home to foster a life-long
connection to music and composition.
I always welcome feedback and suggestions. Please ask your child to
demonstrate something that they have done in music each week. I plan to make
music a wonderful experience for your child this year. I hope they come home
singing!
Marci Shegogue
LS Music Teacher
mshegogue@mcleanschool.org
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